Advocacy and Policy Strategic Planning

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="05bfd523.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Cape Fear Regional Bureau For Community Action, Inc.</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cape Fear Regional Bureau For Community "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Services"><U><B><IMG SRC="04e0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>    </B><A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Statewide Community Planning and Organiz"><U><B><IMG SRC="04d0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Community Empowerment"><U><B><IMG SRC="04f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.capefearregionalbureauforcommunityactioninc.org/mf.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.capefearregionalbureauforcomm"><U><B>Click Here For Site Map</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="23fd2993.jpg"> <div> <B>We must be doers and not just talkers.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Advocacy and Policy Strategic Planning</B></I></div> <div> Under construction <A NAME="advocacy"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <bR> <div> <U>Dr. Patrick Lee of the NC Council for Positive Living has requested your help:</U></div> <bR> <div> <I>This is a national effort from the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership and the Community Mobilization workgroup. Please distribute widely. Apologize for duplicates.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Congress to Pass FY2002 Budget Soon, Calls Needed Now to Ensure AIDS Funding Increases </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Take Action: </B></I>Contact your U.S. Senators and House Representative on Wednesday, January 15. Call the Capitol switchboard toll-free at 1-800-648-3516 and ask to be transferred to their offices. </div> <div> Don't know who your representative is? Call 1-888-VOTE-SMART or visit http://www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Leave This Message: </B></I>Please encourage your colleagues on the appropriation committee and in the House and Senate leadership to ensure that final negotiations of the 2003 budget include much needed funding increases for AIDS prevention, global AIDS issues, Ryan White CARE Act programs, and other health care services that millions of people rely on for survival. </div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Background: </B></I></div> <div> A new session began in Washington on January 7, 2003 when the 108th Congress convenes, and its top priority will be to complete Fiscal Year 2003 budget negotiations by the end of January. While the fiscal year began in October 2002, Congress has passed continuing resolutions to fund all government programs at current levels until mid-January. Congressional leaders may seek passage for a massive appropriations package, known as an omnibus bill, establishing annual funding levels for a broad array of federal programs. Under this scenario, Congress would likely consider the President's 2003 budget-which contained no funding increases for domestic and global AIDS prevention and care programs-as the blueprint for final funding amounts, which would spell disaster for AIDS programs already dangerously underfunded and at or above capacity. </div> <bR> <div> Members of Congress may have opportunities to weigh in with the leadership and appropriators regarding funding increases for specific programs before the final budget is passed, but constituents must communicate their priorities now. Your calls can make a difference. A nationwide coalition of AIDS organizations and advocates is mobilizing on January 15th to urge Congress to prioritize HIV/AIDS funding for FY03 and FY04's budgets. Advocates will be calling their members of Congress while others will be meeting with the House and Senate leadership and appropriators on Capitol Hill and in local district offices. Be part of the grassroots movement to gain increased funding for critical AIDS programs. Make your phone call today and encourage your friends, family members, colleagues, and clients to join your efforts. </div> <div> Patrick M. Lee, JD</div> <div> NC Council for Positive Living</div> <div> 537-B Huffman Mill Road</div> <div> Burlington, North Carolina 27215</div> <div> (336) 586-0062, ext. 24</div> <div> (336) 586-0063 fax</div> <div> <U>nccpl@bellsouth.net</U><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > email</FONT></div> <div> <U>www.ncpositiveliving.org</U></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>